Sayang Sabah - The voice of Sabahans

Rogue elephant to be brought to Sanctuary

KOTA KINABALU: The rogue elephant that charged a woman at Kg Gambaron, two kilometres from Telupid town recently, has been captured.

Director of Sabah Wildlife Department, William Baya said a team from the Wildlife Rescue Unit led by Veterinarian Dr Laura Benedict darted the elephant on Feb 22 and had restrained it.

He stated that they will not trans locate

the elephant anywhere yet as they are worried that it might pose a similar danger elsewhere.

“The plan is now to bring it to our newly built Borneo Elephant Sanctuary where this elephat will be observed befre they decide on the next course of action,” he said.

He said this in response to inquiries about the incident where a woman was cha a wild Borneo pygmy elephant of three metres height at Kg. Gambaron, two kilometers from Telupid town.

The victim, Justina Ompang, 57, received light injury on her waist due to being whipped by the elephant’s trunk. She was sent to Telupid Hospital for emergency and trauma treatment. Her husband, Khunyan Basimah, 40, was uninjured.

A thorough check up deemed the victim without internal injuries, and was permitted to go home the same day.

According to Khunyan, the incident happened when they were going to work at 6.20am. The weather was foggy when they encountered the wild elephant at the roadside.

Normally the elephant would flee to the jungle when approached by villagers, however that morning it attacked the couple and hit Justina with its trunk, he added.

The husband’s shout stopped the elephant from attacking further and it instead ran to nearby jungle.

Sabah Wildlife Department (JHLS) Assistant Director, Dr. Sen Nathan, said serious conflict between elephants and human occurred in several villages around Telupid, which are Kg. Bauto, Luang Batu, Maliau, and Gambaron for the last two months.- Sayangsabah.